


Burnin' Bridges Shore to Shore

by dev0n



Category: Daredevil (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Defenders (Marvel TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Still Have Powers, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-27
Updated: 2017-09-27
Packaged: 2019-01-05 23:03:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12199164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dev0n/pseuds/dev0n
Summary: Matt smells Elektra draw closer, feels heartbeats and pheromones pick up in the people closest to the entrance of the room. He hears Frank open his mouth, probably to ask what his problem is. Panicking and not really thinking about what he's doing, Matt turns to face Frank and presses in close."Please don't hit me," he whispers quickly.





	Burnin' Bridges Shore to Shore

**Author's Note:**

> I tried not to vilify Elektra too much, but I really don't like her, so it might have come off that way a little more than I wanted. Sorry. This is MCU, but Matt is ginger like he is in the comics because I said so. Frank has no tragic backstory and this entire fic is honestly just an excuse to get away from all the angst in the fandom. Edit: I went back and fixed a few things, so consider it sort of kind of properly proofread now!
> 
> Title from Bulletproof by La Roux.

Elektra Natchios is the kind of woman who immediately turns heads the moment she walks into a room. Matt's only heard of someone commanding that much attention in movies; it's a rare gift.

When Matt senses heads turn and hears whispers rise up from the front room of the frat house, feels heartbeats pick up and pheremones go wild, he gets a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. When he catches a whiff of that expensive shampoo mixed with the subtle rose perfume Elektra's always loved, he knows she's here.

"Fuck," Matt mutters, good mood effectively dampened. He turns his head down toward the cup in his hand and frowns. He's more than a little drunk, and he has no idea where Foggy, Karen, or Claire are; the four of them had sort of drifted their own separate ways. Matt's just finished off his drink when he picks up a whisper from someone a few feet away:

_"When did Elektra get a new boyfriend?"_

"Fuck," Matt repeats once more, with feeling. He hears someone near him snort, and tilts his head slightly toward them.

"You alright there, buddy?" the stranger asks gruffly, but there's definitely an amused undertone to his voice. Matt recognizes it, after a moment: Frank Castle. He's friends with Karen, if Matt remembers correctly, but he and Frank have never really spoken.

"Yes. No. I don't --" Matt huffs, frustrated, and gestures toward the front room. "My ex-girlfriend is here with her new boyfriend."

"Ah," Frank says, and Matt feels him nod. There's no sympathy or empathy in the syllable, not really, but that amused tone is still there. Matt frowns down at his empty cup, setting it on a counter.

"Frank, right?" Matt asks. He feels Frank nod again, but remembers not to react.

"Oh, shit. Uh, yeah, I'm Frank."

"You just nodded, huh?" Matt grins wryly.

Frank huffs out a short, embarrassed laugh. "Yeah. You're friends with Karen -- Matt, right?"

"Yes. It's nice to finally actually talk to you --"

Matt stiffens suddenly. He smells Elektra draw closer, feels heartbeats and pheromones pick up in the people closest to the entrance of the kitchen. He hears Frank open his mouth, probably to ask what his problem is. Panicking and not really thinking about what he's doing, Matt turns to face Frank and presses in close.

"Please don't hit me," he whispers quickly. His hands rest against Frank's chest, and his lips are right up against Frank's ear. Matt feels him tense, hears his heartbeat pick up a bit.

"What the hell, Red?" Frank asks, his own voice just as low. Even as quietly as he's speaking now, Matt can feel the pleasant rumble in Frank's chest. At least Frank's immediate reaction isn't to shove him away.

"She just came into the room, and I can't -- I'm not -- please." Matt's not even sure what he's asking until he feels Frank settle his hands at Matt's waist, strangely self-assured.

"Natchios," Frank says. It's not a question, but Matt nods anyway. He feels Frank watch her subtly as she makes her way through the crowd. "Her reputation precedes her. I've met plenty'a maneaters like that before." He sighs like it's a big chore, but there's a telling skip in Frank's heartbeat when he says, "Fuck it. Why not? I'll humor you, Red. Just this once."

Matt presses his grateful smile against Frank's throat. "Thank you," he whispers, but then he tenses again as he feels Elektra come even closer. Oh, God. Once again giving very little thought to his words before he speak them, Matt urgently blurts, "Kiss me."

Frank snorts at the demand, but he seems to understand how panicked Matt his, how much this girl is affecting him. Just as Matt feels Elektra turn her head toward them, Frank's lips meet his own; and suddenly, he's hardly worried about Elektra at all.

One of Matt's hands slides up and around to the back of Frank's head, feeling the short, buzzed hair there. His face is burning; the only other time he's kissed a man was a while back, with Foggy (which they'd both agreed to never speak of again). But aside from the slight scratch of stubble and the much broader... Everything, kissing Frank isn't much different than kissing a woman. Matt blames the alcohol in his system for the way he deepens the kiss, tongue delving past Frank's lips and tasting the beer he's been drinking.

Frank seems startled for a second, but he gives as good as he gets. His hands squeeze at Matt's waist and slide around to his lower back, dangerously close to grabbing his ass. Matt breaks the kiss with an embarrassing squeaking noise followed by a laugh when he feels Frank do just that, though only briefly. He traces his fingertips over the lower half of Frank's face, feels the teasing grin there.

"Sorry," Frank whispers. "Got a bit carried away... Huh." His gaze seems to move somewhere behind Matt.

Matt makes a questioning noise and tilts his head, listening, and. Oh. He smells Elektra again, pricey shampoo and roses, feels her come up behind them. Matt holds onto Frank's wrists so his arms remain around him when he turns to face her, giving her a grin that probably betrays how drunk he is. And giddy -- God, that kiss... He wants more, wants to take Frank upstairs and --

Right. Elektra.

"Matthew!" Elektra greets jubilantly. Her date is nowhere to be found, Matt notes. "It's so good to see you! How have you been?"

"I've been _great_ ," Matt replies, and he really hopes he's not pushing Frank's boundaries when he interlaces their fingers. Aside from a slight uptick in his heartbeat, Frank doesn't react. God bless him. "How about you? It's been a while."

"Oh, I've been doing very well, myself," Elektra replies. "So, who's this?"

"Oh! Right. Elektra, this is Frank. Frank, Elektra." Frank gently loosens one hand from Matt's grip to shake Elektra's hand. There's a certain coldness Matt can feel coming from both of them that almost makes him wince. Frank is really playing the protective boyfriend role well. Matt's really gonna owe him one.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Frank says politely.

"And you," Elektra says, voice sickeningly sweet. She turns her head suddenly. "Oh, there's Carl! Matt, would you like to meet my boyfriend?"

"No," Frank answers before Matt can say anything. Maybe he can feel how tense Matt is. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we were meant to go meet up with a couple of friends a good ten minutes ago. We just got distracted." Frank laughs.

Matt feels how irritated Elektra is. How much she wants to show off her shiny new toy. It makes something in his stomach twist unpleasantly. But instead of saying whatever it is she wants to, Elektra just shrugs and smiles sweetly.

"I won't keep you, then," she says. She leans in to kiss him on the cheek and Matt bristles, feels Frank do the same.

"When you're done pretending you're really dating this guy, Matthew, maybe we can catch up," Elektra whispers in his ear. Then she squeezes Matt's shoulder and disappears into the crowd again.

Embarrassingly, Matt feels frustrated tears gather in his eyes. "God damn it," he mutters, pulling away from Frank and feeling somewhere to his left for his cane, which he'd abandoned there a while ago. "I'm sorry for dragging you into that. I just, I..."

"Hey, hey. Breathe, Red." Matt feels warm, heavy hands settle on his shoulders. It's strangely grounding. "I didn't mind, alright? Any of it." Frank's heart doesn't skip in the slightest when he speaks, and Matt finds himself grateful beyond words. "C'mon," Frank continues. "You look like you could use some fresh air."

Matt gingerly reaches out to touch Frank's arm. "You mind if I...?" Frank shakes his head, and Matt curls his hand around Frank's bicep. "Jesus," he mumbles as they start to make their way through the crowd.

"Hm?"

"Exactly how much do you work out?" Matt asks.

Frank laughs, leading them out onto the back patio. He leads them over to a corner of the yard where there are far less people. Frank was right; being outside clears Matt's head, and he lets some of the tension fall from his shoulders.

"Really, though," Matt says quietly, following Frank's lead when he feels the other sit on the grass. "Thank you. I can't thank you enough. She -- she always acts like she still _knows_ me, like I'll just come crawling back when she wants, and -- the last couple of times, I did," Matt admits. Then he shakes his head and groans. "Now I'm unloading even more of my drama on you. Sorry. I'm sorry. I'm drunk. No, that's no excuse. Fuck."

"Breathe, Red," Frank reminds him again, sounding much calmer than Matt at this point. He rests a hand on Matt's knee, and Matt focuses on Frank's heartbeat for a few moments.

"Sor--" Matt starts to apologize again, but Frank cuts him off.

"If you apologize one more time, I'm gonna give you somethin' to be sorry about, Red," he says with mock seriousness, squeezing Matt's knee a little. Matt grins sheepishly and nods a little, resists the urge to apologize yet again.

"I volunteered for this, remember? I said I didn't mind, and I meant it. I still mean it. But if you really insist on makin' it up to me..." Frank hums thoughtfully. Matt tilts his head, facing Frank's approximate direction. Frank's heartbeat has picked up.

"You could buy me dinner sometime," Frank finishes.

Matt feels his cheeks flush a little again and his face splits into a grin. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. And, y'know, throwin' in a couple more of those kisses couldn't hurt."

Matt laughs. He rests one hand against Frank's bicep again, the other coming up to cup his face. Slowly, and a little shyly, he guides Frank into another kiss. This time they're not putting on a show, and the kiss has less tension behind it; less heat. It's sweeter. Matt pulls away first and rests his forehead against Frank's shoulder.

"Dinner it is," he agrees.

"I'll get your number when we go back inside," Frank says, and it feels all too natural when he wraps an arm around Matt's shoulders, pulls him a little closer. "But first thing's first: how in the hell did you even know Natchios was coming?"


End file.
